


The Lone Wolf

by MysteryWriter (SexyFiend)



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Imprinting (Twilight), M/M, Mpreg, One True Pairing, True Love, True Mates, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-05-20 14:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19378261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SexyFiend/pseuds/MysteryWriter
Summary: In a fight alongside the Cullens that resulted in the death of Jacob's entire pack, Bella chose to become immortal and live out her life in Alabama. While mourning the loss of his best friend, he finds someone else to live for. His secret becomes the lifeline for his pack.





	1. Chapter One

Jacob Black sat at the opening of the cave where his mother used to take him when he was younger. He could feel her spirit here.   
“I don’t think I’ll ever imprint, Mom,” He whispered into the vast cave. Jacob was the only survivor of his pack. The rest of the wolves died in a recent fight alongside the Cullens, a local coven of vampires who lived in Forks.   
“Everyone I love is gone. There’s no one left to imprint on.” His father, Billy, had reassured the teen that he did not have to imprint on a member of the tribe, and that he would only imprint when the time was right.   
“Dad says I need to just trust fate, but with Bella gone, I have no one else to spend my time with besides Dad.” A gust of wind blew against the teen and he swayed before finding a rock to sit on just inside the cave. He just rested on the rock and stared blankly into the cave for hours before he could hear the light tread of footsteps.  
“Bella?” Jacob yelled, knowing it was useless.   
“Jacob?” A smooth voice responded. It was a male’s voice, but he recognized it. He heard the footsteps pick up in pace, crunching against the snow on the ground until one of the Cullens was standing next to him at the mouth of the cave.   
“Jacob, what are you doing out here?” Edward asked, stepping closer. Jacob’s breath hitched in his throat as he took in the figure in front of him. Everything from his golden tousled hair to his form-fitted dress shirt, to the points on his dress shoes seemed to glow in the pale light of the sun trying to peek through the clouds. Before Jacob knew what was happening, his feet carried him into the cave as fast as they could. Edward, dumbfounded, followed the teen into the cave until they came to a stop at the back, Jacob inches away from falling into the waterfall behind them.   
“You can’t be here right now, Edward.” Jacob said through clenched teeth. He recognized what was happening and it angered him. He had just imprinted on Edward Cullen.   
“What’s wrong, Jacob?” Edward asked, genuine concern coating his features. Fire burned through Jacob’s body as he longed for the touch of his imprint, though he resisted temptation, balling his hands into tight fists at his side.  
“I don’t know.” Jacob lied through clenched teeth.  
“Do you need me to call Carlisle?”  
“No.”  
“Do you expect me to leave you here alone without knowing if you’re okay?”  
“Yes.” Jacob noticed that Edward’s once intolerable odor had become intoxicatingly sweet, making him long for the vampire’s touch even more. His breathing became labored and he reached out to grasp the wall of the cave to hold himself up. His keen depth perception was altered by the current circumstance and his arms flailed in the air before he began falling backwards into the deep pool of water behind him. In an instant, Edward’s cold arms were cradling the boy, holding him upright with one arm around his waist and the other behind his head, similar to how one would hold a falling child. Jacob’s arms instinctually flew to Edward’s shoulders, steadying himself.   
As soon as Edward had Jacob wrapped in his arms, he noticed for the first time how close the two were standing, almost dropping the boy in the process. The wolf’s smell was no longer unbearable, simply an afterthought that resided at the back of his mind. A few moments too long after the wolf was stable, Edward released him to stand on his own. Suddenly, Jacob’s thoughts filled Edward’s head.  
“How could this have happened? I love Bella.” Without thinking, Edward responded to the wolf’s thoughts.  
“Bella’s gone, Jacob. She’s not coming back.”  
“You don’t think I know that, Edward?” Jacob snapped back, instantly regretting it as pain filled him to his core. Edward wrapped his arm around Jacob’s waist to steady him again, his signature smirk forming on his lips.  
“What is possibly funny right now, Leech?” Again, pain shook his core. His body couldn’t take talking down to his imprint.  
“I was just thinking that it makes sense how much you loved Bella.”  
“And why is that?”  
“Much like you now, she was always very accident prone and always ended up falling into my arms. It was like she craved my touch.”  
“You have no idea.” Jacob thought, unaware that Edward was listening in.  
“Alright,” Edward started. “You know I can read minds, and I’ve been trying to stay out of your private thoughts, so I’m going to give you a chance to tell me what’s on your mind before I step in and find out for myself.”  
“Why do you even care?”  
“I-I don’t know. All I know is suddenly your proximity is tolerable, when before this moment I would be retching at your wet dog smell.”  
“You’ll hate me; more than you already do.”  
“I don’t hate you, Jacob. I hated the attention that Bella was giving you. However, none of that matters now does it?” Edward sat down, leaning his back against the cool wall of the cave. “Now come sit down, take a deep breath, and talk to me. I promise I won’t hate you.” Jacob hesitantly joined the vampire on the cold ground and took a deep breath.  
“I didn’t want to know you for so long. Simply because you and your family swooped into town and you stole my Bella’s heart. I remember when she told me that you were engaged, I phased and ran all the way to Canada. I thought that Bella was my imprint, and I hated you for taking her away from me. I know now that she was never my imprint and her love for either of us would never last.”  
“She was happy to leave us. She wanted immortality and I couldn’t give her that. She never loved either of us, she just wanted our immortality.”  
“Edward, I imprinted.”  
“Congratulations, Jacob! You deserve this after everything I put you through with Bella. I’m confused though, why would I hate-” His sentence was interrupted by a look from Jacob.  
“Oh. You imprinted on me.” Jacob pulled his knees up to his chest and covered his face, trying to hide the embarrassment flushing his cheeks.  
“Tell me about it?” Edward inquired softly. Jacob’s head snapped up and he took in the genuineness on Edward’s face.  
“You’re not mad?” Jacob asked, tears filling his eyes. Edward reached up to wipe a single tear that fell from Jacob’s eye. He let his hand fall limp beside them before answering the boy.  
“How could I be? I don’t know a lot about imprinting, but from what Bella had told me about it, it’s not exactly something you can control.”  
“It’s not, and it doesn’t have to be a romantic thing either. My purpose in life is now to make you happy, no matter what it takes. I know that after everything you may not even want me in your life, but it hurts me to be away from you. Even snapping at you earlier was immensely painful. As long as you’re in my life and you’re happy, even if it’s only as a friend, I will be okay.”  
“It’s so unfortunate how imprinting works, really. Say Bella was your imprint, what would you have done if she had married me?” Edward asked, subconsciously moving closer to the wolf.  
“I don’t really know.” Jacob smiled up at Edward. “That doesn’t mean you go find someone to marry just to find out.” The pair laughed together.  
“I have no desire to do that, Jake.” The unlikely pair sat in the cave and got to know each other until well after nightfall. Jacob began to slur his words and he leaned his head against Edward’s shoulder.  
“You’re really cold, Ed. It feels good.” He mumbled, closing his eyes.  
“Getting tired, Wolfy?” Edward chuckled, fascinated at how easy it was to be around Jacob. Jacob just nodded against Edward’s shoulder.  
“Alright, I’ve got my car right on the other side of the clearing, I’ll take you home.” Jacob just nodded, letting the vampire pull him to his feet. “Have you put any thought into how you’re going to tell your father?”   
“No, not really. He’ll probably demand to know where I’ve been all day, demand to know why you’re in our driveway.”  
“Yeah, I can’t imagine he’ll be too fond of the idea of us together.”  
“Yeah, I know. He’s an elder in the tribe though, he’s seen it all. If anyone were to understand, it’d be him. Not that I really have anyone else to tell anyway.” Edward opened Jacob’s car door before shutting it behind him and running around to the other side of the car. As soon as they were both buckled in, Edward grabbed Jacob’s hand on the center console.   
“Are you still falling asleep?” Edward asked looking away from the road for a second.  
“No, why?”  
“I have an idea, we’re going to the clearing.”  
“Are you crazy? You want to take me to the clearing where everyone I held close to my heart was ripped to shreds by a bunch of rogue bloodsuckers?”  
“No, I’m not crazy, and yes, I’m taking you to the clearing. It’s the last place you saw your friends alive, and you’re going to tell your pack your great news.”  
“You’ve officially lost your mind, Ed.” A mischievous grin formed on Jacob’s lips. “Fuck it, let’s go.” The car ride was silent for a while until Jacob broke it.  
“So tell me, what’s it like to be imprinted on? You had mentioned earlier that I no longer smell like wet dog. Is that the only difference you notice?”  
“No, I feel this intense need to protect you, which sort of makes sense. While wolves have imprinting, vampires can also sense when they’ve found their fated partner and that person is to be protected at all times. It’s not as big a deal as imprinting, and there’s no name for it but I think the two can go hand in hand, like in our case. I think I may have ‘imprinted’ on you before you imprinted on me in all honesty.”  
“What makes you think that?”  
“Any other day if I heard you yelling in the woods, I would’ve just kept walking and ignored you. Today, it was like my body carried itself to you.” Edward put the car in park in the middle of the woods. “We’re here.” He said quietly. Neither of the boys had returned to this clearing since the fight that took Jacob’s pack from him. Jacob could feel his pack’s energy in the air and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. He remembered what Sam, the alpha of the pack, told him as the life faded from his eyes.  
“If you ever need to talk to us, phase and we will come to you. Do good, Jacob Black.” Jacob wrapped his arms around Edward’s waist and sobbed against his chest, letting out all of his emotions for the first time since the fight. Edward pulled the wolf to his chest and pressed his lips into the boy’s hair, rocking him back and forth.   
“Do you want me to wait here?” Edward asked once Jacob had calmed down enough. He nodded.  
“This is something I need to do alone.” Jacob whispered. Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to Jacob’s forehead before ushering him into the clearing. Watching in awe as the boy transformed into a beautiful golden brown wolf. He could hear Jacob’s thoughts easier in this form.  
“Sam? Are you here?” Jacob thought. Though Edward could not see them, 7 wolves emerged from the treeline. Edward could not hear the thoughts of the spirit wolves either, but Jacob could communicate with them through their pack link.  
“Jacob, what is the leech doing here?” Sam asked. Jacob whimpered at the insult.  
“I came here to tell you that I have finally imprinted. And I know you won’t be happy, but Edward is my imprint.” Suddenly, the wolves emerged from being shadowed and almost transparent to full wolves with actual beating hearts. Almost as soon as Edward noticed the wolves, they phased into their human forms and all collapsed, groaning in immense pain.  
“Edward! Call Carlisle! They’re alive!” Jacob yelled from just beyond the trees. Edward ran to him before dialing Carlisle’s number, who promised to be there with help as soon as he could. In about 5 minutes, Carlisle was in the clearing followed by the rest of the coven.  
“Everyone grab a pack member and meet me at the house. Esme is setting up the medical equipment to be ready for us as we get there. Each vampire grabbed one of the wolves and began the trip home.   
“I’ll take Sam, you take Seth.” Edward said to Jacob. Jacob quickly phased and Edward secured the smallest of the tribe to his pack before picking up the alpha and following Jacob through the woods. Once they arrived at the Cullen house, Carlisle worked quickly to get all of the injured hooked up to various machines, pumping their highly metabolic bodies with more medication than a human would ever need.   
“This will sedate them long enough for their bodies to heal. They’re all going to be fine.” Jacob’s father soon wheeled through the front door, relief on his face as he saw all of his tribe members present and accounted for.   
“Dad? How did you-” Jacob stuttered.  
“I called him on the way here.” Edward revealed.  
“Jacob, you have brought your friends back to life. The intense emotion of your confession must have been enough to bring their spirits back to this realm. I worry they will not be accepting of your imprint when they wake, but know that I, along with the other elders, see no trouble. You imprint for a reason, and in your case, that reason is to bring life to the world.”  
“You mean I have healing powers?”  
“It would seem that way to me.” Suddenly, Edward’s eyes went wide and he grabbed Alice before disappearing out of the house.  
“What did you see?” He demanded of his much smaller sister.  
“You and Jacob. You were in the clearing and laughing. There was a baby in your lap.”  
“Who are the child’s parents?”   
“You know I can’t tell you that. It was just a vision, Edward. It might not even come true. It’s just one of the many possibilities of your future. Tell me this, do you love Jacob?”  
“I-I’m not sure. This all happened so fast, but whatever my feelings for him are, they are strong. I have to protect him.”  
“Then protect him. He needs you now. He’s very confused.”  
“I know. I should get back in there.”  
“He will make you happy, Edward. Keep an open mind.” The two shared an embrace before Edward made his way back into the house. Jacob was sitting on the couch talking to his father about what had happened in the clearing.  
“Jacob, can I have a moment with you alone please?” Edward asked quietly into the boy’s ear, making him jump. He looked to his father who gave an approving nod before he rose and followed Edward up the stairs. They climbed to the third floor before entering Edward’s bedroom. The space was neatly organized with a large bed in the center of the room, where Bella once slept.   
“You can definitely tell Bella picked out the decorations.” Jacob chuckled, taking in the open space.   
“Yes, this was as much her space as it was mine. Come sit with me.” Edward sat back on the soft leather couch that was pressed against the wall and opened his arms for Jacob to fall into. He fit in the vampires embrace better than Bella ever did.   
“What’s on your mind?” Edward asked Jacob, who relaxed into the vampire’s arms.   
“I dunno, I’m just really confused right now. Everything has happened so fast today I feel like I have whiplash.” Edward nuzzled his face into the crook of Jacob’s neck.   
“I can relate to that.” Edward chuckled, lifting his head to kiss Jacob’s cheek. “But I’m always going to be in your corner, Jake. Everything is going to be alright now.”  
“You’ve been kissing me a lot today, Ed. Anything you want to get off your chest?” Jacob teased. Edward just shrugged with a smirk on his face.   
“No I don’t think so.” Jacob twisted in Edward’s arms so their faces were just inches apart.   
“So you mean to tell me that you don’t want to kiss me right now?” Edward’s eyes darkened to a deep amber as he took in the proximity of Jacob’s body to his. When he spoke, his voice was deep and raspy.   
“Oh, Honey, I want to do so much more than kiss you right now.” Jacob rested his hand on Edward’s inner thigh, where he could feel an icy erection forming through the vampire’s pants. Subconsciously, they both leaned in until their lips touched. They moved together in beautiful harmony; icy and burning to create a perfect medium. The pair stayed like this until Jacob’s lungs burned for the oxygen he craved. He slowly removed his lips from Edward’s, breathing heavily. Their foreheads were pressed together as if any less contact would be painful.   
“Wow.” Edward breathed, closing his eyes and stealing one last peck.  
“You can say that again.” Jacob chuckled.  
“Jacob, can I be honest with you?” Jacob leaned back a bit to take in his mate’s face. Edward kept him wrapped tightly in his arms.  
“Of course.” Edward sighed.  
“I have no idea what I’m doing, or what any of this means. Everything is happening really fast and I’m just really, really confused. I’m feeling this intense urge to be near you and to hold you, and to kiss you, and to protect you, forever.”  
“You’re preaching to the choir, Babe.” Edward grinned at the pet name and nuzzled his face into Jacob’s warm neck, sending a pleasant shiver down Jacob’s spine.   
“I wish we could just stay like this forever.” Jacob nodded, getting more comfortable in the vampire’s lap. Though the pair were similar in size, Jacob fit perfectly in Edward’s arms as if they were custom molded just for him. They laid in silence for a while and Jacob was just nodding off when there was a light knock on the bedroom door.   
“Come in.” He said under his breath, so he wouldn’t wake Jacob. Carlisle cracked the door open and peeked his head in, smiling sincerely when he saw the boys curled up together on the couch.   
“There’s something Billy needs to talk to you about, it’s urgent that it happens now because the rest of the pack is lucid for the moment.” Carlisle’s voice caused Jacob to stir in Edward’s arms and he had disappeared behind the closed door before Jacob opened his eyes. His eyes darted around before locking on Edward’s who pressed his lips to Jacob’s gently.   
“God, you’re so beautiful when you sleep.” Jacob blushed and stretched his arms out over his head, standing up.   
“What did Carlisle need?” Jacob asked.  
“Your dad needs to talk to us right now because the rest of the pack is lucid and they need to hear it too.” Edward lead Jacob slowly down the stairs, trying to read the room before he subjected his mate to anything. Billy yawned as the pair entered the room, clearly overtired from the events of the day. They turned the corner to see all of the pack members trying to fight against restraints, growling, and glaring directly at Edward. Their eyes were all glazed from the medication keeping them from phasing. Billy slammed his hand down on the coffee table and all of the pack members stilled.   
“There’s something about the Quilleute legend that I have never shared with all of you. Edward, I’m not sure how much you know, so I’ll start from the beginning.” He delved into the story of the sacrifice made by Taha Aki’s third wife to save the tribe from the cold one. Edward flinched at the thought of one of his kind bringing so much death and hardship to such a beautiful loving tribe. Jacob wrapped his hand around Edward’s sharing their pain.   
“Now for the part that none of you have heard. I told you that Yaha Uta, Taha Aki’s eldest son with his third wife, killed the cold one. That was a lie. In fact, he imprinted on him. The pair went together to kill the Cold Woman so that they could be together. The rest of their days were spent in a chaotic whirlwind of love and hatred from the tribe for taking away one of their heirs. To you, Cullen family, I apologize on behalf of myself and the other elders, because it is due to this, that so much adversity exists between our families today. Carlisle, you giving your adopted son the life he has, allowed my son to bring back life to my tribe. I will be eternally grateful to you for this.” He turned to the tribe members who lay calmly in their beds. “As for you, you will treat the Cullens with respect and grace, because they are part of our family now.” Finally, he turned to Edward and Jacob. “You two will have a beautiful life together, however, or wherever, you choose to spend it. We elders grant you our blessing to live out your days as mates, so as not to deny your mutual imprinting. To wrap up, thank you Carlisle and Esme for opening up your home to care for the children of my great tribe. I know they will be in good hands with you. I will be personally informing the individual families of these boys throughout the day tomorrow, if you don’t mind the extra company, I’d like the invite them to see their loved ones.”  
“Of course. As long as our sons are bonded by this force, our home is as much yours as it is ours.” Edward winked at Jacob discreetly, squeezing his hand. Shortly, after some small talk, Carlisle put the wolves back under sedation for the evening to heal more and Billy bid everyone farewell. Edward and Jacob were watching a movie in the living room while the rest of the Cullens went to hunt. Jacob was lying with his head in Edward’s lap while Edward absentmindedly ran his fingers through the boy’s hair. Once Jacob was asleep, Edward finished the movie, it was one they had both seen many times, and carried his mate upstairs to his bedroom. When he was placed on the bed Jacob stirred a bit and squinted his eyes, smiling when he saw Edward.  
“Hey, Handsome.” Jacob croaked, his voice hoarse from sleep. Edward kissed his forehead.  
“Hey, Beautiful.” Edward cupped Jacob’s face in his hand and they shared a short sweet kiss that communicated all that had been left unsaid. “Why don’t you get more comfortable?” Edward asked genuinely as he took his own t-shirt and jeans off, leaving him in nothing but a pair of tight boxers. Jacob groggily followed suit and crawled under the covers and into Edward’s arms. He traced shapes on Edward’s bare chest before looking up into his amber eyes.  
“Not that I’m complaining, but if you don’t sleep, why are you in bed?” Jacob asked. Edward chuckled, pulling the boy a little closer.  
“Why would I pass up an opportunity to have you in my arms, uninterrupted, for as long as you decide to sleep?”   
“Won’t you get bored of just watching me sleep?”  
“Jacob, I don’t know when or how it happened, but trust me; I could stare at you for the next century and never get tired of it. As long as you and I are together, I will never grow tired of you.”   
“Where have you been all my life?”   
“What year were you born?”  
“1990.”   
“Let’s see, in 1990 we were living in New York, we lived in Alaska with the Denali Coven from 1995 to 2000, and then we came back to Forks.”  
“Came back?”  
“Yes, in 1936 we were living in Forks. My signature is on the treaty that my family made with your great-grandfather.”  
“What was he like? I never really knew him, he died when I was a little kid.”  
“He was 16 when I met him, Love. He was just a normal kid from what I could tell, with the exception being that he really, really wanted to kill me.” This made Jacob chuckle.   
“Okay, fair enough. By the time you came back to Forks I was 10 so he was long gone.”  
“I’m sure he was a great man. Lord knows he was a fantastic alpha for his pack.” Jacob yawned and snuggled closer to Edward who pulled a book off of his nightstand. The pair shared a sweet kiss before Jacob drifted off to sleep. Edward held him close as he read his book; content just listening to the sound of his mate breathing evenly in his sleep. After a couple hours of reading, he finished his book and decided to stretch his legs. He pulled his clothes back on and opened the bedroom door to find a frantic Alice about to knock. The two ran down the stairs.  
“What’s going on, Alice? I wasn’t expecting you guys back until tomorrow.”  
“Bella’s coming.”  
“What the fuck do you mean Bella’s coming?”  
“As far as I can tell, she just wants to talk to you, but you can’t read her thoughts and I can’t see thoughts in my visions so we’ll just have to wait and see.”  
“How long?”  
“She’ll be here in about 20 minutes. We need to get the wolves into the garage. Carlisle will stay with them until she’s gone.” The family each took a bed and wheeled them all out into the garage where Carlisle stayed with them.   
“Is she coming alone? Can you still see your vision of Jacob and I from earlier?”  
“Yes to both. I don’t think she realizes Jacob is here.”   
“I probably-”  
“Smell like a dog? You absolutely do, the whole house does. There will be no question to how you’ve spent your evening once she gets here.”   
“Is he safe?”   
“Emmett has the window, Jasper has the bedroom door. She won’t be able to get into that room.” Edward visibly relaxed knowing his mate would be safe. “Rosalie and I will be guarding the two entrances into the house as well.”  
“Please, don’t worry about me, just keep him safe, that’s all I care about.” Edward pleaded, Alice backing up toward the house. They could hear Bella approaching and didn’t want to come of as threatening when she arrived.   
“Alice saw me coming, didn’t she?” Edward’s head snapped to the left, following the sound. Bella emerged from the treeline wearing her typical jeans and t-shirt with Converse. Her eyes were a dark amber, meaning she had not been feeding on humans.  
“She did. How’s Alabama?” Her shoulders slumped.  
“Wet, lonely, dark, you know. How’s Forks?”  
“Same as usual. Have you been to see Charlie?” She shook her head ‘no.’  
“I wanted to come here first. Charlie stays up late when he’s grieving and I haven’t been gone that long. Obviously I can’t see him when he’s awake, I just want to make sure he’s okay.”  
“As far as I know he’s doing alright, I still see him around town. He’s been at the station a lot.” She chuckled.  
“Typical. I know I really fucked everyone up when I left.”  
“Yeah, kinda, but no hard feelings. You did what you had to do to get what you wanted.” She finally sniffed the air.  
“I take it you’ve seen Jacob recently?” She scrunched her nose up. Edward chuckled at her reaction.  
“Yeah, I ran into him earlier today. He and Billy were leaving Charlie’s and he decided to walk home. We chatted for a few and then went our separate ways.” He lied.  
“Is everything okay, Edward? You seem tense.” She reached out to touch his arm and he flinched away from her.  
“Yeah, everything’s fine, just usually when people come here, they call first.”  
“I knew you wouldn’t answer.”  
“You’re right, I probably wouldn’t have.”  
“I miss you, Edward.” Repulsion filled him to his core, this is what he’d feared.  
“I’m sorry to hear that.”  
“I went on an animal diet, hoping you guys would let me stay with you.”  
“Sorry, but we can’t have you here. Not being so close to Charlie. There’s too much risk. Congratulations on being a vegetarian though, have you thought about staying with the Denali’s?”  
“No, I hadn’t thought about that, I was only thinking about you and Jacob and how I missed you both so much.”  
“We miss you too, Bella, but you made your choice and it’s too late for regret. You’re stuck with this decision forever now, which is exactly what I didn’t want for you.” Bella rubbed her eye and an amber contact was left on her hand, revealing a blazing red eye in its place.  
“Why are you really here, Bella?” She looked up in surprise as she realized the small device on her hand.  
“Edward, I love you. I made a rash decision to get immortality because I thought it would mean eternity with you. Clearly that was the wrong choice. So I’ve made a new decision. If I can’t have you, nobody can.” She lunged at Edward and he spun her around and had her in a choke hold almost instantly. Suddenly, memories of their time together flooded his mind and he couldn’t bring himself to end her.   
“Jasper!” He yelled and within minutes, his brother was standing in front of them. Meanwhile, upstairs, all the commotion had woken Jacob up.  
“It’s okay, Jacob, you just stay right here.” Emmett said soothingly, trying to calm the boy down.   
“Where’s Edward?” He cried. He could hear a fire being started in front of the house.   
“Edward’s okay. Bella came back, and she didn’t have good intentions.”  
“Is she dead?”  
“She will be. Jasper went to help Edward.”  
“Good. No one tries to hurt my Edward and get away with it. I hope she burns in hell.” Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open and Edward barrelled in, tears streaming steadily down his face, beelining to the bed to take Jacob in his arms. He began kissing the boy all over his face. Emmett quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him, to go help his family dispose of Bella.  
“I love you, Jacob.” Edward said firmly grasping the boy’s face in his hands. “I didn’t understand it before, but then I saw my life flash before my eyes and I realized it was you I was missing all along. I need you to be with me forever. I love you, I love you, I love you.” He planted more kisses on the boy’s face before Jacob pulled back slightly.  
“I love you, too, Edward. Please don’t scare me like this again.” Edward pulled Jacob on top of him so their stomachs were pressed together. He rubbed Jacob’s back soothingly.  
“Bella won’t be coming back. We’re safe now, Baby. Everything’s gonna be okay.” Jacob nodded, both boys sniffling through tears. They lay in silence for a while before, much to Edward’s surprise, both of them fell asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

Edward stirred slightly and awoke with a smile on his face as he felt his sleeping mate in his arms. He remembered their confessions from the night before, trying to push the confrontation with Bella from his mind. Suddenly, he frowned, realizing that he had just woken up for the first time in almost a century. Still groggy, he stumbled downstairs and knocked on the door of Carlisle’s office.

“Is it possible for a vampire to become human again?” He asked as Carlisle opened the door, walking in. Carlisle shut the door behind him and approached him.

“I’ve been trying to figure that out for a few hours myself. For the past 50 years at least, even when Bella was sleeping here, you would come downstairs to socialize at least once. I thought perhaps you were just taking in your time with Jacob after the stressful day you both had, and when I peeked in the door, you were both sound asleep.”

“What have you found so far?”

“Can I examine you first?” Edward reluctantly laid down on the exam table. Carlisle felt around where all of his organs should be, but his flesh did not give way to the pressure the way  a human’s would. Next, a cold stethoscope was pressed to his chest. Carlisle looked perplexed but relieved at his findings.

“Are you hungry?”

“I need to hunt, but no, I have no desire for human food.” Carlisle pinched Edward’s leg.

“Does that hurt?”

“No.”

“Do you need to breathe?”

“No.”

“Alright, one more thing.” Carlisle took his own temperature and scrawled the results on the corner of the page. Then he took Edward’s temperature, furrowing his brow in thought as he wrote the results on the page. Edward sat up on the table and folded his hands in his lap, waiting for Carlisle to speak.

“You have no human bodily function, you have no heartbeat, your lungs are still. However, you’re slightly warmer than usual, your cheeks are flushed, and you need sleep. Is there anything else I should know?” Edward thought and then gasped.

“I didn’t even realize it until right now, but I cried last night.”

“I think I know what’s happening. In my research, I found an article from about 200 years ago. In it, a vampire who was, obviously, immortal, began sleeping and aging when he found his one true mate who was human. It is my understanding that wolves stop aging at 25 years, unless vampire presence is diminished and they turn back to a full human and begin aging again. I’m thinking that you’ve become just human enough to tire and age with Jacob until he reaches maturity, but not human enough to turn him human.”

“So, I’m going to have a birthday again? I’m going to get older than 17? Thank god I can finally stop going to fucking high school.”

“That is my theory, yes. You’ll need to sleep every night and you may even develop an appetite for human food after a couple years.”

“This is awesome. Jacob really is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I believe it. Now everyone in our family has found their fated partner.”

“Does it bother you than my partner is a male?”

“Son, your partner could be a goldfish and it wouldn’t make a difference to me, as long as it made you happy. I believe you will find your eternal bliss in Jacob, and I can’t wait to see your relationship flourish.”

“I’m gonna go check on him, he should be waking up soon.” He said, walking out of the office and back up the stairs. He crawled back under the covers and pressed his lips to Jacob's warm neck. 

“Good morning,” he whispered in the boy’s ear. Jacob stirred in his arms before rolling over and pressing his lips to Edward’s. 

“Good morning.” He looked up at his partner through sleepy eyes that shot open suddenly. 

“Edward, your cheeks. You look-“

“Human?” Jacob nodded frantically, more confused than he’d ever been in his life. 

“As it turns out, that whole ‘your purpose is to bring life’ thing your dad said meant more than just your tribe. It also has partially to do with my history too, but I’m part human I guess now.”

“How so?”

“My organs still don’t function, my skin is still hard, I’m still immortal, but I will need to sleep, I can cry, my cheeks are flushed, and Carlisle said I might even want human food after a couple years. Oh, and I’ll age with you until you stop, then it’s business as usual.”

“That’s amazing, Babe!”

“I’m so excited to explore my partial humanity. I guess I just needed to admit my feelings for you.”

“I’m so glad you did. So what was Bella like?” Edward knew this question was coming, but he wasn’t really prepared for it. He decided it was best that Jacob knew the truth, so he wouldn’t spend eternity wondering. 

“Come here, it’s not easy to talk about.” Edward pulled Jacob as close as he could get and Jacob grasped the vampire’s cool hands in his own. 

“She seemed just like herself at first, nervous almost. Immortality suited her well. It’s ironic that she perished in immortality so much sooner than she would have otherwise. Her eyes were amber, like mine. She wanted to come back to us. To you and to me. She wanted to live here with me and pretend nothing ever happened. Or so she said. In a moment of weakness, she let irritation get the best of her and rubbed her contact out of her eye. She hadn’t gone on an animal diet after all, and she didn’t want to stay here. I think deep down she could sense that my heart no longer belonged to her.” Tears filled both boys eyes. Edward tried to choke back his emotion, but his voice came out thick and sad. 

“She came here to kill me.” Jacob let out a loud sob and Edward let his tears fall, pulling the boy closer to him, nuzzling his face in his neck. 

“I didn’t want to kill her, because I didn’t want to hurt you.” Edward said after a long while, once he was composed again. 

“It was in what may have been the final moments of my life, that I realized I had fallen in love with you. That I couldn’t risk myself to leave you here alone. I’d had each member of my family guarding an entrance to the house, with Jasper and Emmett guarding each entrance to our bedroom. I yelled for Jasper because he was the least necessary boundary because if she had come through the house she would’ve had to get through Alice, Rosalie, and Esme to get to you. I held Bella’s arms while Jasper removed her head, and I couldn’t stand to see any more, so I ran up here to you. She wasn’t a good person anymore, Jake. I hope you understand why I did what I did.”

“Edward, if I had known, if I had been there, I would’ve ripped her to shreds myself. I love you far too much to let someone like her come into our lives and destroy you. I know everything has happened so fast, but there’s no force strong enough to keep me from protecting you.” Edward pulled Jacob into his lap and pressed his lips to the boy’s pulsing temple. 

“Well she’s not coming back, so you don’t need to worry about anything right now.” Jacob ran his fingertips along the dark bags under Edward’s eyes, taking in the deep onyx hue of his irises. 

“Babe, you need to hunt.” Jacob said tenderly. 

“Not today, I’m not up for it.” Edward sighed. 

“Edward.” 

“What’s your favorite place to go out for breakfast?” Jacob cocked his head. “I want to take you on a date.”

“What will people think?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You’ve been around for a hundred years.”

“You think because going on a date with someone you love will make people question you?”

“My favorite diner is on the Rez. They know me by name. They are like 100% sure I’m straight.”

“So what? You have a boyfriend now, and if they care about you, they won’t think twice about it as long as you’re happy.”

“I like the way that sounds.”

“What, boyfriend?”

“Mmm.” Jacob grinned from ear to ear. 

“Well, Boyfriend, let me take you out on a date today, and I’ll let you take me hunting tonight. How does that sound?” Jacob grinned. He couldn’t resist an opportunity to spend quality time with Edward. 

“Deal. But we’re going in PJs.” Edward looked shocked as he realized he didn’t own any pajamas. 

“What?” Jacob asked. 

“You’re gonna think this is ridiculous, but I don’t actually own PJs.”

“I didn’t even think of that; you haven’t slept in a century.”

“I’ll borrow something from Jasper, he and Alice lounge around in pajamas all the time.” Edward jumped out of bed and walked down the hall to Jasper and Alice’s room, knocking gently on the door before being invited in. 

“Edward, your cheeks!” Jasper exclaimed from where he lounged on the bed with Alice in his arms. 

“It’s a long story, I’ll explain later. I need a favor.”

“Don’t tell me there’s another one of your ex girlfriends in the driveway who’s here to kill you.” He chuckled. 

“Nope, sorry, I need to borrow some pajamas. I’m taking Jacob on a date and he insists we need to go in pajamas.” Alice squealed and jumped off the bed, running full speed to their large walk in closet. She hurriedly looked through the racks and emerged with a pair of red plaid flannel pants. 

“Wear these with a hoodie, make sure to wear a t-shirt under it.” She threw the pants at him before ushering him out of the room. Edward arrived back in his bedroom and stripped to his boxers before sliding the soft fabric onto his legs. 

“Oh my god we need to go shopping. These are so fucking comfortable.” He exclaimed which Jacob thought was hilarious. 

“You’re adorable.” Jacob whispered. He approached his mate and cupping both sides of his face in his hands, pressed a tender kiss to his lips. They pressed their foreheads together and embraced each other. Jacob broke the silence, patting Edward’s face. 

“Let’s go, I’m starving.” Edward clasped their hands together and led him out of the bedroom. The rest of the family was in the living room, except Carlisle, who was in his office writing up paperwork after examining the wolves.

“Where you love birds headed?” Emmett asked from the couch, a smirk on his face.

“I’m taking Jacob out for breakfast, he insisted on the pajamas.” 

“Well, have fun and be safe. Remember the first of the visitors will be here around noon, and I will not have you in pajamas when they get here.” Esme said sternly from her perch on a leather chair. Edward led Jacob out to the garage, both of them stopping short and staring into the pile of ash in the middle of the driveway. Jacob spat into the pile and kicked it with his boot, making dust fly everywhere. Edward opened Jacob’s door for him, leaning into the car to kiss him once he was seated, before jogging over to the driver’s side and perching behind the wheel. 

“What was your favorite breakfast food when you were alive?” Jacob asked when they were almost to the edge of the reservation.

“I think the only thing from my youth that stood the test of time was pancakes. We mostly had meats and gravies for breakfast. It was our heartiest meal of the day.”

“Have you ever had Froot Loops?” Jacob asked. Edward chuckled and shook his head.

“Corn flakes were invented by Kellogg when I was 10.”

“Holy shit. You’re older than corn flakes?” Edward blushed slightly, an uncomfortable heat in his cheeks that he had not felt in so long. He missed being able to hide his embarrassment. 

“Oh come on, Baby, I was just kidding around. The Whispering Wolf makes the best pancakes I think I’ve ever had.” The car came to a stop in Jacob’s driveway and both boys stepped out to greet Billy on the porch.

“Good morning, Mr. Black.” Edward said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. 

“Good morning, Edward; but please, call me Billy,” He looked to his son who had stars in his eyes. “I think we’re a little past the formalities.”

“You’re probably right,” Edward chuckled. 

“You boys headed down to the Whispering Wolf?” Edward turned to Jacob. 

“How did-“

“The dress code there is pajamas. They won’t let you in in street clothes.” Jacob said before disappearing into the house. Billy ushered Edward through the door, letting it fall shut behind him. Edward followed Jacob’s silhouette as it disappeared around a corner. Edward shut Jacob’s bedroom door behind him and stood awkwardly inside as Jacob stepped into his closet, shutting the door. He emerged minutes later wearing a pair of grey plaid sweatpants and a black hoodie. 

“What’s up, Babe?” Jacob asked, ripping Edward from his thoughts. He wrapped his arms around the vampire’s waist, resting his head on his chest. Edward sighed, draping his arms over Jacob’s shoulders and shrugged limply.

“I dunno. I guess I’m just worried about being outcasted.”

“By…”

“By your friends, the people in your town, I dunno maybe I’m just being dumb.”

“Hey,” Jacob lifted Edward’s chin with his index finger. “You said so yourself, who the fuck cares what they think?” 

“I just have so much to think about now, you know? I can go outside whenever I want to now, but I can’t stay up all night anymore.”

“The Whispering Wolf does take out. We’ll go, I’ll go in and order it, and then we can take it down to the beach, okay?” Edward nodded, still deep in thought. When the boys emerged from the house after bidding farewell to Billy, the sun was beating down on them. Edward subconsciously pulled up his sleeve and stared at his skin that no longer glistened like diamonds when penetrated by the warm rays. Edward decided to let Jacob drive, both because he knew where they were going, and Edward was not focused enough to ensure their safety.

“You break my car, I’m breaking up with you.” Edward joked as they pulled out of the driveway.

“Oh really now?”

“No, I’m full of shit. You’re stuck with me for the rest of eternity.” Edward grinned from behind his Ray Bans. 

“You know, that’s actually a term that humans use to measure love. They don’t even realize that there are so many people around them that actually get to spend eternity with someone. We’re so so lucky to be part of the few that get that chance.”

“I’m so thankful you came into my life when you did.” The drive to the restaurant was short and Jacob jogged through the door, emerging 10 minutes later with two bags of food. Edward looked shocked as Jacob loaded the bags into the backseat.

“I’m a wolf, Ed. I eat a lot.” They rode to the beach in silence, the smell of the food in the backseat keeping Edward’s mind occupied. He could smell the warm butter on the pancakes that, though sweeter than he remembered, reminded him of his childhood in Chicago. His mouth watered as he caught a whiff of bacon for the first time. He was so lost in imagining how all of the food tasted, he hadn’t realized they had reached their destination. Jacob commented on how distracted Edward was and he brushed him off, not really understanding how to put it into words. 

Jacob grabbed a blanket from the backseat that Edward hadn’t seen him put there and they sprawled out on it, spreading the smorgasbord of food around them in a semi-circle.

“You want to try some, don’t you?” Jacob asked, looking mildly concerned. He was unsure how fast Edward’s transition toward humanity was supposed to move, but Carlisle’s estimate of a couple years compared to his own observation made him uneasy.

“Kind of, it all smells really good, but I don’t know if I can taste, or if my body will reject it.” 

“Well why don’t you start small. You said you liked pancakes,” Jacob said, sliding a small paper plate to him. They were on a secluded part of the beach and being January, there was no one venturing onto the snow covered terrain anyway. Edward cut off a small piece of the doughy cake and examined it before placing it on his tongue. It tasted sweet, and he held it there for a few seconds, savoring the flavor, before he began to chew. He swallowed gently as Jacob stared intently, making sure he was okay. A grin spread across Edward’s face as he cut himself another piece. 

“Are they like you remember?” Jacob asked quietly as he began to shovel food into his own mouth at a much faster pace. 

“No, they’re better. Ours were made with cornmeal and were much more savory. Breakfast has gotten sweeter with time.”

“I’m sure it has.” He saw Edward eyeing the thick greasy slabs of bacon and plopped one on his plate. 

“This is bacon, it’s from the fatty part of a pig. It’s salty.” He explained before Edward popped half the slice in his mouth. 

“Damn that’s good.” Edward wiped a drop of drool from the corner of his mouth, unable to handle the feeling of salivation after so many years. Jacob laughed, but he was still concerned about Edward eating. Edward finished his pancake and Jacob finished the rest of the food and they were just laying on the blanket, wrapped up in each other’s arms, staring at the sky. 

“Oh god.” Edward croaked, jumping to his feet and jogging away from the blanket. Jacob followed him wearily. Edward bent forward, his hands on his knees, and began to heave. He began to vomit up the contents of his stomach, what little color he had leaving his face. 

“You’re okay, Baby.” Jacob whispered soothingly in his ear as he rubbed comforting circles on his back. When he was done, he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and slumped over, putting all of his body weight on Jacob for support. Jacob guided him back over to the blanket and laid him down. He began shaking violently and Jacob wrapped him in his warm embrace, hoping the gesture would calm him.

Suddenly, Edward’s alarm went off on his phone signaling it was time to head back to the house, ripping them both back to reality. 

“How are you feeling?” Jacob asked Edward who just rolled his head groggily to the side.

“I’ve been better.” Jacob kissed Edward quickly on the nose before helping him to his feet. Edward trudged to the driver’s seat and drove them back to Jacob’s house quietly. When they parked in the driveway, Jacob studied Edward closely.

“Are you sure you’re okay to get home?” Jacob asked after a moment.

“Yes, Love, I’m alright. I’ll see you soon, okay?” He reassured the boy.

“Okay,” He said, leaning in for a short but passionate kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Jacob jumped out of the car and jogged to the front door, turning back to blow Edward a kiss before disappearing behind the door. Edward sped back to his house to make sure he’d be dressed in time. When he got home, he went straight up to his room without a word, locking the door behind him. He walked into his attached bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. His face was pale, except for his cheeks, which were a faint crimson. His eyes were a deep black, making the dark circles under his eyes more prominent. He dragged himself to the shower and stood under the cool water, letting it wash the day away. When he was done he wrapped a towel around his waist and strolled to his closet, pondering what to wear. He settled on a black blazer, left open to reveal a white v-neck t-shirt tucked into black slacks. He slid his feet into a pair of black dress shoes. He could hear his family bustling around downstairs, probably tidying up and preparing refreshments for the visitors. Esme loved to cook for humans. He pondered whether he should help them or not, and decided to lie down on his bed. He unlocked the door so Jacob could come in when he arrived before allowing his tense body to relax against the plush mattress. He closed his eyes and felt his whole body melt away, drifting off to sleep. He was awoken by warm lips on his and he squinted his eyes open. 

“Time to wake up, Babe.” Jacob whispered tenderly before pressing his lips to Edward’s forehead. Edward sighed, not happy to have to leave the bed. He wrapped his arms around the wolf. 

“Do you think they’d notice if we just stayed up here?” Edward smirked. Jacob chuckled. 

“I mean probably. We’re the ones with explaining to do.”

“Good point.” He rolled out of bed and took in his boyfriend who stood before him in an almost identical outfit. “Is anyone here yet?” Jacob shook his head. 

“Just me and my dad so far. The others should be here soon.” The pair ventured downstairs where everyone was scattered around the living room. The wolves were healed enough to be out of bed for a while and were all seated on the couches. The Cullens, with the exception of Carlisle and Esme were scattered around in the vast array of seating. Everyone was getting to know each other better. Edward squeezed Jacob’s hand and smiled down at him, as they had not been noticed by their families yet. Slowly, they crossed the room to a small loveseat. Everyone continued their conversations without noticing them. Edward slung his arm around Jacob who crossed his legs and leaned closer. 

“This is kind of weird, right?” Edward whispered in Jacob’s ear, moving to kiss his cheek. Jacob nodded, chuckling under his breath. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Esme and Carlisle rushed to answer it. Jacob tensed up in Edward’s arms and scooted away from him. Edward understood. Jacob could see the door better than Edward could and under his breath whispered.

“Emily, Sam’s wife, and their niece, Claire, Quil’s imprint.” Edward looked shocked.

“She’s just a baby!” He whispered furiously. Jacob set his hand on Edward’s knee to calm him.

“Remember what I told you, it’s not always a romantic thing. They just spend time together and play games. He’s more of an older brother to her right now. That’s not to say it won’t turn to more eventually, when she’s old enough, but it’s all on her terms, just like this was all on yours.” Edward nodded, relaxing into the couch again. Emily was talking to Carlisle, Esme, and Billy for a few moments before she burst into the room, tears running down her face, and beelined to her husband. He stood to catch her and they embraced for a long time until he was too weak to stand anymore. Claire teetered over to Quil, who picked her up and held her tightly in his lap, not saying a word. Emily smiled and waved from across the room and Jacob returned the gesture, he hadn’t seen any of the pack’s families since he went with Billy to inform them all that their loved ones were dead. Next to come was Sue Clearwater who wasn’t really interested in an explanation once she was told that her two children were alive. She knelt in front of the couch they were both perched on and held each of their hands, a family reunited. 

“Holy shit.” Jacob said a little too loud. He shot a panicked glance to Embry. Sam was muttering curses under his breath and everyone seemed on edge. 

“She doesn’t know.” Edward concluded after reading a few of the thoughts flying around the room. Jacob shook his head, still seemingly in shock. Tiffany Call entered the room and walked to her son, who she simply pulled to her chest and rocked back and forth. Before the front door could close, Rachel Black forced her way in. 

“Where is he?” She demanded. She was directed to the living room without a word and ran into the arms of Paul. She shot a glance over to Jacob and smiled weakly. 

“What, no love for your little brother?” He joked.

“Oh I suppose.” She crossed the room and Jacob stood to hug her. She whispered something in his ear before he sat back down, a little closer to Edward than he had been before. A short while later, there was another soft knock at the door. Carlisle opened it, revealing a very worried Kim. She spoke quietly with Billy in the doorway before the four of them entered the living room, Kim going to greet Jared. Billy wheeled himself to the front of the room, so he could address everyone at once. The chatter in the room came to a stop when he cleared his throat. Everyone was wiping tears from their eyes.

“I’m sure you all have a lot of questions. Especially you, Tiffany, so let me start. Your son’s father was a Quileute.” He took a sharp breath as the woman listened intently. “All those nights that you checked on him and he was gone, he was performing his tribal duties,” He paused. “As a shape-shifter.” Tiffany went pale.

“He’s one of the wolves I’ve been seeing around?” Billy nodded. 

“I’m sorry you had to wait so long to find out, but since you’re Makah, you have to understand why we had to keep this from you.”

“Of course I do, Billy. Thank you for telling me.” Billy delved into the story of Taha Aki and the sacrifice, this time including the part about Yaha Uta and the Cold Man. Everyone sat, staring at Jacob and Edward, with shock on their faces. 

“Jacob and Edward should be commended, for their bond is the force that brought our beloved back to us.” Billy finished, before handing things over to Jacob. Jacob stood, glancing tenderly at Edward before doing so. 

“So we’ve learned a lot about our heritage, the Cullens’ heritage, and generally how everything works in the last 24 hours.” He started, he had the full attention of everyone in the room, with the exception of little Claire, who was distracted by Quil’s necklace. 

“From the moment I met Edward, I hated him. I thought I was going to imprint on Bella, and he took that away from me, because she chose him. It was partially because of our lineage, and the fact that I was supposed to hate him, but mostly because he took away my Bella. However, yesterday, I was sitting in the cave where my mom used to take me and was talking to her, mourning all of you.” He gestured to his pack. “So I was sitting there and suddenly Edward was there, and I imprinted on him. I didn’t ask for it to happen, but he and his family accepted me with open arms and I couldn’t be more grateful.” He started to tear up. 

“After sitting with him for a while, he brought me to the clearing where we had the fight that took all of you away from me so I could tell you all my news. As soon as I said it, you all came back to life somehow. My dad tells me my purpose is to bring life to the world. I’m still figuring out what that means, but it’s only been 24 hours and I’ve learned so much.” 

“I thought you could only imprint on someone the first time you meet them?” Sam interjected. 

“And up until yesterday I thought you could only imprint on another wolf or a human, clearly we still have a lot to learn.”  Edward stood up next to Jacob and took the spotlight off of him. 

“Now I know you all have been dying to know why I look different today. Carlisle did some research, and it turns out that I’m turning into a partial human of sorts. I sleep, I have color to my face, I can cry, and as we learned a couple hours ago, I can vomit. Carlisle says I will age until 25 when Jacob reaches immortality and then we will both stop.”

“No fair!” Rosalie yelled from the back of the room, causing everyone to chuckle. 

“It’s also possible that I may develop an appetite for human food after a couple of years, but apparently 24 hours is not long enough because pancakes and bacon did not end well.” He chuckled. 

“Did you want it?” Carlisle asked, cocking his head. 

“My mouth started watering as soon as I smelled it. And it tasted really good, but my body rejected it rather quickly.” Carlisle nodded, making a mental note. Edward sat back down, done addressing the crowd, and Carlisle stood and turned to the wolves. 

“I’d like to keep you all for a couple more days until you are strong enough, and then you’ll all be able to return to life as usual. You’ve all made miraculous recoveries. Your family members are welcome to stay with you, or visit as much as they’d like, we’ve got plenty of space.” Carlisle clasped his hands together and nodded as everyone thanked him for his hospitality and the crowd dispersed, everyone wanting to spend as much time with their family members as possible. Across the room, Sam kissed Emily on the cheek before approaching Edward and Jacob. 

“Can I have a moment with him please?” Sam asked Edward. 

“Of course,” Edward said. He kissed Jacob on the cheek. “I’ll be upstairs.” Jacob reluctantly let go of Edward’s hand and watched him ascend the stairs before turning his attention to his alpha. 

“So you really imprinted on a Cullen?” Sam asked. The question had been burning at him since he’d been back, but he hadn’t had the chance to get Jacob alone. Jacob nodded. 

“Is that okay?” He asked timidly. He didn’t want to be excommunicated from the pack. 

“If he’s your imprint, he’s your imprint, Jake. I just want to make sure that you’re positive you imprinted and didn’t just want someone to call your own.”

“Of course I’m sure, Sam. Why else would I be spending so much time with a bloodsucker?”

“I guess so, well, I guess congratulations are in order.”

“Thank you. He makes me really happy.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way. But if he hurts you, I might have to kill him.” Jacob flinched away from him, the thought of losing Edward too painful to fathom. 

“I don’t foresee that happening.” He chuckled, thinking back to earlier in the day when Edward promised him eternity. Sam nodded and patted his shoulder, going back to Emily. Jacob started shaking and exited the house, walking calmly to the backyard where he let his anger get the best of him and phased. 

Upstairs, Edward heard the shredding of fabric and looked out his window where his beautiful golden wolf sat staring into the tree line like he wanted to run away and never come back. Without hesitation, he jumped out the window, landing softly near Jacob. He approached the wolf, stroking his hand up the soft fur before stopping in front of his head. He continued to massage the wolf until he laid down. Edward knelt in front of him. 

“What’s wrong, Beautiful?” He asked quietly. 

_ “He wanted to make sure I wasn’t just using you to pass the time.”  _ Edward stood, glaring at the house. 

_ “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”  _ Jacob nuzzled his large head into the vampire’s chest. Edward looked to the shredded clothing that surrounded the wolf and jumped back up to his bedroom. He quickly changed into something more comfortable and threw a spare outfit in a backpack before jumping back outside. 

“Come on, we’re going on that hunt now.” The pair bolted off into the woods, Jacob letting Edward lead the way. Jacob had no trouble keeping up with his mate and enjoyed the wind in his face. Edward’s head jolted to the side as he caught the smell of nearby deer. They approached slowly, barely making a sound. Edward set his sights on a large buck, grazing farther away from the rest, and when the time was right, dove in to tackle it. He broke its ribs so it couldn’t move and drained all of the blood from its body. Jacob chose a smaller buck and began to rip the meat from its body, blood dripping from his fur. When the both had their fill, they started walking back toward the house. 

_ “Is that clothes for me in that backpack?”  _ Jacob asked. Edward nodded. 

“Do you want to phase back?” Jacob nodded his large head. They weren’t too far from the house. Jacob went behind a tree and yelled to Edward to bring him the clothes when he was back in his human form. Edward strolled over to where Jacob stood, not looking as he handed the naked boy the bag. When he emerged from behind the tree, the clothes baggy on his shorter frame, he grabbed Edward’s hand. 

“Thanks, I needed that.” Edward’s eyes had turned back to their usual amber and his dark circles were going away. 

“I did too.” The pair swung their clasped hands between them as they strolled through the woods, chatting idly. Suddenly, Edward stopped short in his tracks. 

“Did you hear that?” He asked, whispering. Jacob shook his head no, but clung to the vampire, afraid of whatever he heard. Edward stood guard in front of Jacob, surveying the area for threats. He looked up into the trees and saw Jasper flitting through them, looking for something. 

“Jasper!” Edward called. His brother flew down and landed next to them. 

“They sent me to look for you guys. Y’all just up and disappeared.”

“We went for a hunt. Jacob was upset and I was thirsty.” Jasper nodded. 

“Take your time getting back, I’ll let them all know you’re safe.”

“Send our apologies for worrying them.” Jasper took off back to the house at full speed and Edward and Jacob relaxed, going back to their conversations. When they arrived back at the house, most of the visitors had left for the evening with the exception of Emily who insisted on staying with Sam until he was well enough to go home. Esme was making dinner in the kitchen, the smell of the warm pasta was intoxicating. 

“Kids, dinner’s ready!” Esme called from the dining room. All of the wolves rose slowly from their seats and hobbled to the kitchen, tired from the day’s events. Jacob looked to Edward who chuckled. 

“If you’re hungry again, go eat, Love. I’ll be in here.” Jacob followed his pack members to the dining room where they all took their seats and began eating. The Cullens congregated around Edward, ready to begin their interrogation. 

“So what’s it like, you know-“ Emmett started. 

“Being with a guy?” Edward finished for him. 

“Well, yeah.” 

“Honestly, it’s amazing. He’s everything I’ve been searching for for the past century. I thought I had love with Bella, but it’s so different with Jacob. It feels natural.”

“Have you always been gay?” Jasper asked quietly. 

“I don’t think so. I mean I was born in 1901, so it wasn’t really on my radar that men could even be with another man, you know?” Jasper nodded. 

“And now?” Rosalie asked. 

“I mean I don’t think I can count myself as gay, as Jacob is the only man I’ve ever been attracted to. Bisexual probably, but I don’t have intentions of being with anyone after Jacob, so I don’t think I really need to label it as anything.”

“It all happened so fast though, aren’t you worried that the spark will die?” Alice asked. 

“Not at all. Like I said, he’s the one I’ve spent a century searching for. I love him with every fiber of my being. I didn’t know I was even capable of feeling this strongly for someone.” He pondered a moment before continuing. 

“He’s the love of my life, guys. I hope you all can accept that and accept me. I know none of us come from a time when any of this was okay, but it just feels so damn right I can’t think straight around him.” Alice looked to Jasper. 

“I can relate to that. And I think I speak for all of us when I say you have our support one hundred percent. We’re family and family doesn’t leave family behind.” They all shared a group hug. Carlisle and Esme walked into the room and saw all of their adopted children embracing each other. 

“We’ve done good with them.” Carlisle whispered, kissing Esme on the temple. She nodded happily, leaning into him. 

In the dining room, was a similar scene. 

“How did you know you imprinted?” Leah asked of Jacob. 

“I can’t really explain it. It’s almost like he was glowing. I was just drawn to him. I wanted to hold him and never let go, and that feeling hasn’t gone away. Whenever he’s near me I just feel so complete.” 

“Yep, you imprinted alright.” Sam chuckled, looking at Emily with stars in his eyes. Leah tensed up for a second and then took a deep breath. 

“You know what, Sam? We were dead for two months. I think in this second chance at life, I’m going to be less bitter. I owe you and Emily and honestly the rest of you who have had to deal with me, an apology. I couldn’t let myself be happy for you, but I’m getting there. Emily, you’re my cousin and I love you, and I’m happy that you two have each other.”

“Thank you, Leah. It means a lot.” Emily said, wrapping an arm around her cousin. 

“Is it different being with a guy?” Embry asked. 

“Not really. I mean on my behalf it’s kind of different because if one of us had to be the chick, it’s definitely me” he chuckled. “But this is the happiest I’ve ever been and I don’t think anyone else would’ve made my life worth living the way he does.  This life that I’m starting with Edward, it’s my everything and I can’t wait to spend eternity with him.”

“Do you think Claire will accept me when she’s old enough?” Quil asked, scooping another forkful of pasta into the tiny human’s mouth. 

“I hope so, Quil, I really do, but I think she will. She already loves you so much and as she gets older and your relationship progresses, I think she will grow to love you the way our imprints love us.” The pack all finished eating and Emily started clearing their plates when Esme came in. 

“Please, Emily, let me take care of this. You go spend time with your husband.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. We have a cinema room in the basement, why don’t you all go enjoy a movie? Everyone else is already down there.” Esme suggested, taking the pile of plates from the young woman. As the wolves headed downstairs, Carlisle came to help Esme clean up. When Jacob entered the small theater, Edward was waiting for him on a plush lounge chair, a blanket draped over the side of it. Everyone took a seat and the movie started. Jacob sat between Edward’s legs, stretching his own out in front of him. Edward rested his arms around the boy’s waist, resting his head on Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob covered them up with the blanket and relaxed into his boyfriend’s embrace. 

“I love you so much.” Edward whispered into his ear, pressing his lips to his temple. 

“I love you more.” He whispered back as the opening credits ended. 

When the movie ended, everyone was asleep, except for Edward, Jacob, and obviously the rest of the Cullens. Edward suggested that he and Jacob go up to bed, to which Jacob happily agreed. They carried their tired bodies up the stairs and laid down next to each other on the bed. They lay in silence for a while before Jacob spoke. 

“I’m a virgin, by the way.” He blurted, thinking back to their exchange the previous day. Edward nodded. 

“As am I.” Jacob turned his head to look his lover in the eye. 

“Seriously? You’ve been on this planet for a hundred years and you’ve never had sex?”

“Babe, I was born in 1901.”

“Okay, and?”

“People waited till marriage back then. Sex meant something completely different than it does now. It was sacred and meant only to be shared with your life partner.”

“And after all this time, your stance on that hasn’t changed?”

“I mean, I’m not necessarily waiting for marriage anymore, mostly because I never expected to get married, but I guess I was still waiting for the right person.”

“And now?”

“Jacob, you are the only one I’m going to be with for the rest of my time here on this earth. I’ve found what I’ve been waiting for, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Are you opposed to having sex with a man? I mean not right this second, obviously,” he rambled

“No, I’m not opposed to having sex with you, Jake. Don’t be so insecure.”

“I’m not! I-“ he protested, “okay fine I was being insecure.”

“I know.” Edward tapped his temple a couple times, reminding Jacob he could read minds. 

“You know, Bella was lucky.” He muttered. 

“How so?”

“Because she didn’t have you snooping around in her brain all the time.” He rolled his eyes and rolled away from Edward, fixating his glare on a chip in the paint of the wall. Edward stood from the bed, grabbing a blanket and moving to the couch. 

“If that’s how highly you think of me, I’ll sleep over here.” Edward grumbled. He faced the back of the couch and drifted off to sleep, feeling hurt. Jacob lied awake in the bed, wondering when it got so big and stared at the ceiling. After a while, he decided to go for a walk. He tiptoed through the house, trying to be discreet, and found Emmett on the front porch, staring longingly into the woods. Jacob slipped out the front door, hugging himself as if it would make him invisible. 

“You’re up late.” Emmett said, his back to Jacob. 

“Couldn’t sleep. I thought some fresh air might help.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Emmett asked, turning around. 

“I don’t know if I'd call it that. Edward and I were arguing and he just decided to sleep on the couch instead of talking it out.”

“Eternity is gonna be a long ass time if you guys don’t sort that shit out now.”

“I know, I just-“

“Just nothing, Jacob. Eternal love is not something to fuck around with. If you guys are in love, you need to get through this. I recommend going back up there and talking to him.”

“Do you and Rose ever fight?” Emmett’s lips formed into a frown.

“Of course we do, but we chose to spend this life together so we get over it.”

“Maybe you’re right. Thanks.” Jacob walked back into the house and crawled up the stairs. He quietly opened the door to the bedroom that he hadn’t remembered shutting and padded over to the couch. He reached out into the dark space, desperate to find his mate, and found nothing but cold leather. He frantically checked the bed and realized his vampire was no longer in the room. He rushed out of the room in search of anyone who may know the whereabouts of Edward.

“I’m not sure where he’s going, but Jasper is following him. He didn’t say much when he left except to make sure you didn’t follow him.” Carlisle said, resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Jacob jumped at the sudden sound before turning around, insanity lacing his features.

“I need him, Carlisle.”

“I know, Jacob, but he needs some space right now; he’ll be back.” Jacob, defeated, went back to Edward’s bedroom and lied down on the bed. He drifted off to a restless sleep wondering when his mate would return.


End file.
